'She has done a stellar job,' Mayor Terence Roberts said

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City Council members are expected to discuss her replacement on Monday

Anderson City Manager Linda McConnell is retiring. Her three years as city manager capped a 41-year career with the city of Anderson.(Photo11: Katie McLean/ Independent Mail)

Anderson City Manager Linda McConnell has decided to retire, three City Council members said Friday.

McConnell replaced former City Manager John Moore when he retired three years ago. Moore and McConnell, who were high school classmates, each spent four decades working for the city of Anderson. McConnell previously served as assistant city manager and as the city's planning and development director.

It was unclear Friday precisely when McConnell, 63, will step down. She did not respond to a phone message or email on Friday..

City Council members are scheduled to meet in an executive session on Monday night to discuss "personnel issues."

David McCuen was a member of the Independent Mail's 2017 class of 20 Under 40.(Photo11: Ken Ruinard/Independent Mail)

A likely candidate to replace McConnell is Assistant City Manager David McCuen. The former Abbeville city manager was hired in September 2015.

"Personally, I would be very pleased to see David McCuen take over," City Councilman John Roberts said Friday.

Mayor Terence Roberts, who is not related to John Roberts, said he also is "comfortable" with McCuen.

The mayor, City Councilman John Roberts and City Councilman Kyle Newton praised McConnell's performance as city manager.

He also mentioned the continued progress that has been made in revitalizing downtown Anderson during McConnell's tenure as city manager.

The city completed the Church Street Heritage Plaza, which commemorates a former black business district, while McConnell was city manager. City and county officials also have announced that a multi-story hotel, Home2Suites by Hilton, will be built at South Main and East Market streets.

"She has done a phenomenal job," he said. Roberts also said he will hate to lose McConnell's wealth of knowledge about city government.

Newton said McConnell had been "helpful and responsive to issues that I raised."

"She was always a capable leader in my eyes," he said.

During a presentation to a Leadership Anderson class about a year after she became city manager, McConnell said she would like to tape the phrase "no surprises" to the back of City Council members' name plates in their meeting chambers.

Asked about her remarks in an interview, McConnell said she and her staff strive to provide council members with the information that they need to make decisions on policy issues.

"We want to be available to answer their questions ahead of time," she said. "That is what 'no surprises' means."

Mayor Roberts and Newton said the recent death of McConnell's son-in-law may have factored into her decision to retire. Justin Clay Hedden, 39, who owned Churchill's Pub in Anderson, died on Dec. 16. He was married to McConnell's daughter, Neely McConnell Hadden.

"That could have been something that played into it," Roberts said.

Recalling the brain aneurysm that he suffered in June 2017, Roberts said family tragedies "make you think about life."

Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM and email him at kirk.brown@independentmail.com